I really wanted to post something in tribute to Van Cliburn on the day I heard of his death. But I was stumped. I never met him, I don't have any clever personal stories to relay, and I'm not even totally up on his entire history.
The first time I even heard of him was in 1981 when the sixth competition came to town. I was just a baby — in my first professional job at Fort Worth magazine run then by the Chamber of Commerce.
It was a small staff, so I WAS the creative department. I was told, “The Cliburn competition is this year — next month in fact — come up with a great cover — NOW” (yeah, they didn’t quite get deadlines back then either). I couldn’t get my head around a competition other than the Olympics that only happened every four years, but then I decided that piano players must have to buff up too.
But what could I do? I have always loved classical music as much as my beloved Rolling Stones, but really, a guy in a tux sitting at a piano, boring!
I decided I had to take a look for some inspiration so I headed over to where the competition was going to be held. I don't remember where, but Wikipedia (the absolute go-to for information — yeah right) says it was TCU.
I've always loved the piano, wanted to play the piano, however my experiences in 5th grade with mean old Mrs. Lovelace enlightened me to my lack of musical talent. But ahhh, those beautiful huge black grands! They’re just so elegant and have such soothing curves — almost sensual. How could I convey that feeling on a flat cover of a magazine and not have just a picture of a piano?
I walked all over the theater shooting photos and looking for inspiration until the only place left to go was the catwalk … these days the owners would freak out, but in 1981 people didn't worry as much about lawsuits and liability.
So up I climbed, up, and up, and up and looked down … BAM there it was! I turned it out in three days using gouache paint on pressboard.
The best compliment I have ever received was in a letter from a local ad executive Jerre Todd who said my arresting cover was worthy of The New Yorker.
Here it is, I just hope Van liked it … it is after all just a picture of a piano.